Switzerland's Xherdan Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka face possible bans over goal celebrations

FIFA have launched disciplinary proceedings against Switzerland's Xherdan Shaqiri and Granti Xhaka for goal celebrations durin their 2-1 win over Serbia on Friday.

Both players were on target as the Swiss scored twice in the final half-hour, and celebrated with identical hand gestures bearing resemblane to the double-headed eagle on the flag of Albania.

This has been interpreted as a direct reference to the Kosovan struggle from independence from Serbia, which considers it Serbian territory, and if found guilty of breaching the rules face two-game bans.

Shaqiri and Xhaka are of Kosovan heritage – Shaqiri having been born there and moved to Switzerland as a child, while Swiss-born Xhaka's parents moved there before he was born.

Kosovo, the majority of whose population identified as ethnically Albanian, declared independence from Serbia in 2008 – it's recognised by 113 other states but not Serbia.

A FIFA statement read: “The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has opened disciplinary proceedings against the Swiss players Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri for their goal celebration during the match Switzerlands vs. Serbia.”

The disciplinary committee has also instigated proceedings against the Serbian FA for crowd disturbance and the display of “political and offensive messages” by fans.

Additionally, a preliminary investigation has been opened against Serbian coach Mladen Krstajic for alleged comments made in the aftermath.

"We were robbed," Mladen Krstajic is reported to have told Serbia reporters. “I would send [the referee] to the Hague. Then they could put him on trial, like they did to us."

In the aftermath of his celebration, Shaqiri sought to play down its significance, saying: "In football, you have always emotions.

"You can see what I did, and it's just emotion, and I'm just happy to have scored the goal. I did it, and we don't have to speak about this.”